Stanley Kubrick has returned after his 1971’s controversial success A Clockwork Orange with his tonally different 1975 feature, Barry Lyndon. His last feature was a movie that was ultra violent and about a totalitarianism society. This movie is different by a wide margin. It has more of a historical value because it takes place in England during the Seven Years’ War and we get a sense of English society at the time. It is also based off the works of famed nineteenth century writer William Makepeace Thackeray. This film also has a lovely atmospheric air to it. Kubrick, as usual, masterfully write this feature. You could tell that this is his pet project. However, the movie does clock in at over three hours and with the lack of action, there can be a dull moment or two to be had. After all, I feel the aristocratic world can get somewhat boring at times. That being said, we have Kubrick on the top of his game as he created a valued historical narrative that remains mostly interesting and our eyes are able to feast on perfect costuming and successful camera experimenting. Essentially, Kubrick and cinematographer John Alcott shot the film without the use of electrical light, and that is why the look of the film seemed a bit odd compared to other films.

Narratively, I felt the first hour of the film was the strongest. I found the last two hours enjoyable, but it would be very hard to top the perfect narrative of the first hour. During theS 1700’s in Ireland, Redmond Barry (Ryan O’Neal) is a man who is in love with his cousin, Nora. After Nora gets engaged to the British Captain John Quinn, Barry challenges him to a duel. He wins the duel and he escapes to Dublin, but he gets robbed. Left with no choice, Barry joins the British Army to fight in the Seven Years’ War. He decides to desert the army, and he eventually gets forced to join the Prussian Army where he becomes the protégé of Chevalier de Balibari (Patrick Magee). He soon marries the Lady Lyndon (Marisa Berenson) , but downfall is the near future as Barry’s obsession with nobility will become the downfall of his family and fortune.

As Stanley Kubrick is wont to do, he developed a cast that not many people may be familiar with. But because Kubrick always know what he is doing, the cast somehow works out well. The biggest name here is Ryan O’Neal and he is not even that much of a household name. He opened eyes with his role in The Love Story, so that is why people may recognize him. I thought he did a really good job. I was invested in his character throughout the entire film. His character could have worked as a completely serious character (and there are some very serious dramatic moments), but I love how he interjected some humor into his role. I also enjoyed Patrick Magee’s performance. Magee is best known for his work in A Clockwork Orange as the writer who gets robbed, and I thought his performance here was a really enjoyable one.

I love Kubrick’s taste of music in his films. Of course everyone knows about the famous music he used in 2001: A Space Odyssey and to an extent in A Clockwork Orange. So we know he has a passion for classical music based on his previous work. So it should come to no surprise he uses composers like Bach and Mozart to enhance his movie. A very good score which makes this movie even the more enjoyable.

Overall, Barry Lyndon is another fine piece of filmmaking from the legendary director Stanley Kubrick. It’s a bit strange because upon release in 1975, the film actually didn’t do too well critically and financially. People called it a disappointment because it was a completely different movie than expected and wondered why he would make a period piece that has plenty of English tax lingo and people cheating on each other. The movie may not have been a financial success, but the critical steam has built up over time and nowadays, people rank the movie as one of Kubrick’s best. It is not the perfect masterpiece as his previous films, but its still an enjoyable costume drama that tends to be a little stuffy and overlong. However, it has an excellent first half of the film plus the movie makes good use of music, costumes, set design, and everything regarding the beautiful visuals.

My Grade: A-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzNk3tjGwt8

I will say this upfront. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is my favorite film of 1975 and is in my personal top ten films of all time. It’s an American classic that was beloved upon release and forty years later, it still holds up well in terms of relevance and quality filmmaking. There is just so much to love about the movie. Just watching Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher go head to head is a delight to watch. Those two actors, whom won Academy Awards for their performances, make this movie into what it is. They are very special performances. People call this movie a comedy, but I’m not sure if you can call it one. There are comedic elements definitely, but this is more of a drama. A drama about losing everything for the benefit of others. Thanks to exquisite direction by Milos Forman and a array of performances from a diverse cast, this movie is one that is necessary to check out. Like right now.

J.R McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) has a storied criminal past. He has been in prison countless number of times. After his latest crime, he is back in trouble with the law. But in order to escape prison, McMurphy pleads insanity and he is sent to a mental hospital. In the hands of the wretched Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), he witnesses abuse and degradation towards himself and the other wards. In true 70’s spirit, McMurphy rallies up the other inmates in order to stand up against the wicked Nurse Ratched.

This film is all about the performances and characterization. Without these essential elements, this film would be half the film it currently is. McMurphy and Nurse Ratched are two iconic characters that will live forever in movie lore. McMurphy because of his unique rebellious character who seems like an ass on the outside, but somehow becomes close pals with the majority of the inmates. Then we have the Nurse Ratched. She is not evil in the sense one would think of evil. She manipulates people and uses the flaws of her patients to gain power. Her motives are generally clear to the audience, but she uses such a deceptively calm voice which irritates her patients. There is one powerful scene where McMurphy wanted to watch the World Series, but she uses an unfair voting system to make it clear he cannot do what he wants. In a sense, Ratched makes the perfect dominatrix with her calm demeanor, fishy motives, and that shiny nurses uniform. We also have a variety of important supporting characters. There is Chief Bromden, an intimidating Native American who lives in a shell by “being” mute and deaf, but he becomes a pivotal character for McMurphy. Then he have the likes of Billy Bibbit, a young man wanting sex for the first time (and has all the support of his mates), and Traber and Martini whom are more important inmates.

The performances are wonderful. Everyone plays off each other incredibly well. The chemistry between Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher was nothing short of brilliant. Jack Nicholson showed how talented he was in 1974’s Chinatown, but here he really shines and does more than enough to win his Academy Award statue. Louise Fletcher held a commanding screen presence by being psychologically evil. She just may be one of the more memorable screen villains of all time. Up there with the likes of Darth Vader or Jaws. The rest of the supporting cast did a fine job. We get great performances from many actors who would go on to have respectable careers such as Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, and Brad Dourif. Will Sampson was the man who portrayed Chief. I loved his character and how meaningful he was to the story. What he had to do for his pal McMurphy was an emotionally powerful scene which added greatness to the movie.

One interesting thing to point out is the score of the movie. Scores are used to evoke emotion out of the audience and I think Jack Nitzche’s music added something new and original. Apparently he composed the score with the aid of a eerie-sounding saw and some wine glasses. When you hear the score, you’ll know what I mean. I didn’t like it too much upon my first viewing, but it grew on me and I fell in love with it upon my second viewing.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a beautiful, beautiful film. This is a genuine American masterpiece and it features Jack Nicholson at his finest. His character embodies the stigma of loyalty, rebellion, and freedom. He wants to rid himself of evil, and in the process makes many friends. He endures everything from useless medication to shock therapy, but in the end his loyalty to others is what wins. McMurphy is the symbol of goodness. Nurse Ratched, on the other hand, is one of the greatest villains of all time. A mild complaint is how the film treats the women in the film. Not very well (outside of two girls used to give Bibbit the night of his life), but it works well with the plot. This film is expertly-written, masterfully-directed, and the performances are all genuine. Nominated for 9 Oscars, this is just an amazing piece of art.

My Grade: A+

I have a confession to make. As I was watching Dog Day Afternoon for this review, I realized my DVD copy was scratched and it would not play the last half of the movie. But luckily, I have seen this movie before and I am fortunate enough to remember how the movie ended. Both times I watched the film, I enjoyed it very much. Given the talent behind and in front of the camera, that comes to me as no surprise. Sidney Lumet is a very talented director who directed incredible films such as 12 Angry Men and Serpico. Lumet reunites with his Serpico star Al Pacino to create a very fine portrayal of a real-life story about a Brooklyn bank robbery. The film is more subtle and quiet when compared to other Lumet films, but the film has an unexpected lighter tone. The film has some funny lines and I was surprised how much I laughed given the subject matter, but then I realized Lumet was not trying to make a serious film. The thematic issue of gay marriage gave the movie a political edge which also surprised me. I was expecting a straightforward movie about a bank robbery, but I got something more in-depth. There is motivation behind what the characters do and that caused me to sympathize with them, despite robbing a bank and holding people hostage. You may have figured by now, but I really enjoyed this film very much.

Believe it or not, but this story is based off real events which occurred at the Chase Manhattan Bank in Brooklyn, New York in 1972. The bank was held up by this gay man named Sonny (Al Pacino) and his dim-witted crime partner Sal (John Cazale) in order to get money to pay for Sonny’s partner sex change operation. The manager and tellers agree to cooperate with Sonny, but things go south when Sonny realizes there is not anything to steal because the money has been packed up for the day. When Sonny gets in contact with Police Captain Moretti (Charles Durning), he gets nervous when he realizes the entire bank is surrounded by cops. Now he must negotiate a way to get what he wants without compromising the safety of everyone in the bank.

Al Pacino is one of my favorite actors of all-time. He commits to every single role of his, even if the movie stinks. Obviously, this is not a stinker but it is impressive to see Pacino so committed to this role. I loved his performances in the two Godfather movies and Serpico. So it comes to no surprise I am impressed with this performance. This time around he brings an edge of comedy to his performance and it works spectacularly. The scene where he is being live broadcasted and he skips around in happiness telling people he’s a star, that was a wonderful but funny scene. John Cazale does a fine job as Sal. I felt Sal’s character goes hand-in-hand with John’s character in The Godfather, but regardless it was still a fine performance. Charles Durning plays it tough as the NYPD captain as he should because it easily fits his persona. Finally, Chris Sarandon as Sonny’s lover Leon does a fine job in his small role-a role that got him nominated for an Oscar.

I thought it was interesting about the political angle given to this movie. Gay marriage would not be a major political issues until many years after the release of this film, but it was interesting to see the viewpoint of the movie given how gay marriage was frowned upon during this era. The movie played the sympathy cards for Sonny and Leon and it gave a motivation for Sonny’s actions. The movie does not revile Sonny, but instead it makes him a deeply-flawed character.

Overall, Dog Day Afternoon is a excellent movie. It has committed performances by everyone, especially by Pacino. Sadly, Pacino still did not receive an Oscar up to this point despite being nominated for every movie he was in until 1975 including this one. Sidney Lumet continues to bring his style into all of his films. I love Lumet because like auteurs like Scorsese and Allen, many of his films are about New York. Each individual brings something to their films about the great city of New York and they make these films even more interesting to watch. I like the way Lumet turned the film from just an ordinary crime film to a film that is intelligent, creative, and still fun to watch. This is another impressive film on the resume for Sidney Lumet and Al Pacino.

My Grade: A

Jaws is one of cinema’s most influential movies of all time. This film did wonders for the movie industry. It brought about the advent of the summer movie season, it paved the future for blockbusters, it skyrocketed the career of a genius director in the form of Steven Spielberg, and of course this happens to be a damn good thriller. It is one of my favorite all-time movies and despite seeing this film multiple times, I always find watching the movie to be a wondrous experience.

Steven Spielberg is considered by many to be one of best movie directors of all-time, and I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. Time after time, he creates movies that exhibit joy, happiness, and the most of all-magic. Even his lesser films have a hint of magic to them. Each and every single thing the guy makes is pure art. 1975’s Jaws is just the beginning of his storied career. Now the production of the movie was often troubled, but the result was incredible. Spielberg often recalls that he thought he would never make a movie again because of his not-so-secret production issues. The film was over-budget, the screenplay was being written simultaneously with filming, the cast and crew were becoming tired and worn out, the mechanical shark they were using kept on breaking, and Spielberg was just a director whose lack of experience and his heavy ego made things even more complicated. But luckily, Spielberg persevered in creating a very fun, terror-inducing movie.

So obviously we know the film is about sharks. But lets take a closer look at the plot. After a fatal attack by a shark off the coast of popular summer resort Amity Island, police chief Marcus Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close down the resort. But the mayor of the town, Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) doesn’t want to close down the resort because it will hurt business. But after another attack, Vaughn decides to rethink things. With the help of a scientist from the Oceanographic institute Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and a seasoned World War Two sailor Quint (Robert Shaw), Brody goes after the huge great white shark that has been terrorizing the denizens of Amity Island.

The film has a wonderful cast-typical of a Spielberg film. They all bring their A games in the movie especially the three leads. Roy Scheider does a good job as Police Chief Brody who unsuccessfully alerts everyone of the danger lurking in the water. I liked Richard Dreyfuss’s portrayal of Hooper. Hooper has intense knowledge about sharks and I liked that performance very much. I also have to give it to Robert Shaw for his wonderful performance. He created his own monologue about how he and his crew was stranded in shark-infested waters during the war and he was one of the few survivors. That monologue was very well-done because it gave me a good case of the creeps. Murray Hamilton as Mayor Vaughn was solid, but it’s essentially Hamilton playing a role he always does.

I liked the transformation this movie witnessed. Based off the wildly popular novel by Peter Benchley, this film was originally conceived as a straight-up horror picture reminiscent of a Ray Harryhausen picture. But as luck would have it with the mechanical shark not working well, this movie turned into something Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of. They would show very little of the shark-maybe a dorsal fin here or there. By keeping the shark under the table for most of the film, the audience is shocked when the big reveal occurs. The final half hour when the crew is out in the waters hunting and fighting the shark, that was a very fun and intense time. But I loved the set-up. We see these attacks but we don’t see the shark. We know the shark is there thanks to the fantastic underwater cinematography by Bill Butler and of course the insanely popular score by John Williams. One of the best scores of all time. That opening sequence for the first attack is a scene that was well-done and it immediately set the tone of the movie. This movie is terrifying at times and it might make you not go into the water for months. Beware if you want to show this to any young children. Don’t let the PG rating fool you because there is lots of carnage and scary moments.

As I mentioned in the opening, this movie changed the movie business. Upon becoming the biggest movie of all-time in 1975, it set standards for the future. Good movies were primarily released in the winter time and bad movies in the summer. That trend began to change with this film being released in June. Also, it changed how movies were released. Usually films did not get wide openings unless they were crap. However, this film earned a wide release and it became a factor in future wide releases. Jaws is often accredited to the fact why our current summer blockbuster season is the way it is. Good job, Jaws!

Overall, Jaws is an influential movie that spawned three sequels and a special place in everyone’s heart. I found it to be a very entertaining and fun shark thriller that never gets old. The shark itself may be questionable at times, but considering what happened during shooting, I’m very happy the way the shark turned out to be. I thought the screenplay would be a weak spot, but it was actually well-written and rather straightforward. The acting was fantastic, and the direction was fluid despite the production issues. Spielberg began his esteemed career here with the record-breaking box office and the popularity that still persists today. I loved the terror and the tension the film inspires mainly due to the Hitchcock inspiration and the menacing, terror-provoking score by John Williams. As soon as you hear the first notes from the tuba, you will immediately connect it with Jaws. This movie is a straightforward, old-fashioned thriller and if you are one of those rare souls who haven’t seen this picture, please do.

“We are going to need a bigger boat.” –Marcus Brody

My Grade: A

Director Robert Altman impressed me with this two earlier directorial efforts M.A.S.H and McCabe and Mrs. Miller, but I believe he really comes into his own with 1975’s Nashville. The way he directed his movie and the way he made it a very intelligent movie with many important themes but can be understood by the general public is just outstanding. However, if you don’t keep up with the movie, you can be sure to get lost in the overload of information Altman throws at you. On paper, the film may seem like a mess but it’s really not. The film really does not have an overall plot, but it has interwoven segments that are related with each other and I’ll discuss a little bit later on. This film is full of unique performances from an unusually large cast. It’s not unusual that there are many characters, but how many major characters there are. There are approximately 25 major speaking roles, and that has to be some sort of record. But all the performances are wonderful and unique and you feel for each character in the country music setting of Nashville.

So what exactly is this film about? Well, that’s really hard to pinpoint as there is no one big linear plotline. It is essentially about a group of people living life in Nashville during a political-happy time (kind of reminds me of the current 2016 political race). But let’s break down the plot into the little segments. We have Barbara Jean (Ronee Blackley) who is the current reigning country queen of Nashville, but health problems is causing her to fall apart and she also later becomes a symbol for political assassination. Then we have Delbert (Ned Beatty) and Linnea Reese (Lily Tomlin) who live a rather sad life because of a failing marriage and trying to take care of two deaf children. Delbert is involved in a politics as he is trying to bring politics and country music together. Then we have a British journalist named Opal (Geraldine Chaplin) who decides to get into the thick of events within the Nashville scene. As the famed movie critic Roger Ebert paraphrases what this movie is about, it’s many things. A musical, a docudrama about life in Nashville, a political story that was influenced by events like the Watergate scandal, and it is also a satire about country music.

With such a large ensemble, I was surprised how much Altman was able to get from all of his characters. They were superbly written and the performances were genuine. Many of the characters do their own singing, and you can tell they are not professional singers. While the voices may not be the best ones ever, I loved the raw, edgy sound with added to the realism of the performances. The film is not composed of big stars (at the time or even by today’s standards), but they often hit the spot. I loved Ronee Blackley’s performance as the country queen, Barbara Jean. Her singing is decent, but she brings a sensitive side to her character and she is involved in a big political showdown at the end of the movie. She reminds me of a similar real-life country singer, Loretta Lynn. Lily Tomlin delivered one heck of a impressive performance as the mother of two deaf children. I relate to her character because I suffer from partial deafness myself and I understand her pains. She brings such vulnerability to her character. Ned Beatty does a good job in playing the asshole husband who doesn’t care about his family but only about his job. We have very early performances from future stars from the likes of Jeff Goldblum, Scott Glenn, and Keith Carradine (who was impressive as a rock singer). Henry Gibson does a solid job as another famous country star named Haven Hamilton (and did have a good voice).

So there were many aspects to the plot I thoroughly enjoyed. I enjoyed the rather brutal satire on country music which gathered criticism from people within this industry. But my favorite was the political aspect of the movie. Maybe its because history and politics go hand in hand or maybe we are living in a political-happy environment at current time, but I feel like the politics aspect hold up strongly. I like the random scenes where we have this political party in support of a candidate named Hal Philip Walker whom we never meet, but his presence is always known. His politics and the country stars end up clashing in the end for a very powerful ending.

Overall, I really enjoyed Nashville. I don’t think it’s good of a masterpiece of Altman’s earlier McCabe and Mrs. Miller but this is his more mainstream effort. But use that word “mainstream” lightly because Altman brings his complicated style of directing to this movie. His use of the actors and his political and social commentary is widely shown throughout the film. As I say for most of Altman’s films, they are not for everyone. This film has excellent performances from everyone with my favorite performance coming from Lily Tomlin. There is an hour of music recorded for the film and despite the inexperience of the singers, the music mostly works with the film. Nominated for 5 Oscars and a 9 Golden Globes (a record that still holds today), Nashville is a solid work of filmmaking.

My Grade: A-